The Meaning of Survival
by Olive Monster
Summary: Primrose was reaped for the Hunger Games, so Katniss volunteered. Then she fell in love with Peeta Mellark. Which led to a rebellion. This is her life as it would have been, IF none of those events had occurred. How does a certain redheaded Peacekeeper play a role in this? Read and find out. (Warning: A little bit of OOC)
1. Prologue-Love

**Hi! I know, I know, I have quite a few other stories on the go right now, but I have this…. Urge, to write this story! This pairing is not very popular, but I don't understand why!**

**The pairing for this particular story is… Katius! Darius+Katniss! No, I did not invent this couple name, FishFlapper did. I love this pairing and I hope you do too!**

**Summary:**

**Primrose was reaped for the Hunger Games, so Katniss volunteered. Then she fell in love with Peeta Mellark. Which led to a rebellion. This is her life as it would have been, IF none of those events had occurred. How could a certain redheaded Peacekeeper help her cope with life? Read and find out.**

_Prologue_

"Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Snap!" I mutter under my breath as I walk towards my meeting place with Gale. It's the middle of November and everywhere you look the ground is covered in dirty, cold snow. Primrose claims it's the most beautiful thing in the world, but I can only agree if we are watching it fall from the sky. Once it lands, it turns brown from the coal dust and has a musky smell.

But here, in the woods, the snow is bright, white and sparkling. The coal dust hasn't reached the forest and everything here looks magical and untouched. If only Prim could see this.

Winter is my favorite season, since it makes it easier to hunt, because you are able to see animal footprints in the snow. But then again, many animals are in hibernation and have camouflaged furs which makes it harder to see them. But those do tend to sell for more.

But there are some problems in winter. The first and most obvious would be the coldness. To state bluntly, winter in District 12, is miserable. Houses are never warm enough and you always find yourself freezing. No matter how many blankets you acquire or bunny hugs you wear, you can never get warm enough. Some of the luckier folks (including myself) have fireplaces and you usually find a family huddled as close to the fireplace as possible without getting hit by the sparks.

Once, we even moved our mattress into the living room of our house so we could sleep close to the fireplace. Anywhere else in the house was like sleeping on ice.

Another problem is the lack of food. During the months where food is growing and producing food, we have full stomachs. But, when it is winter and the end of autumn we are barely getting by. That's why my family depends on my hunting.

My Mother helps with the income too though. She practices medicine and is a healer for District 12. Most times when people visit her, they don't have enough money to pay my Mother. So they end up owing her money, and the rarely ever pay her back within a reasonable time.

But I try not to depend on her too much any more. Now knowing what she is capable of. When I was 11, my beloved Father died in a horrible mining accident. My Mother had broken down into a deep depression, leaving her only with a shell of the person she used to be. She barely ever spoke and was frailer than ever.

She aged almost twice as fast and was barely staying alive. Her eyes lost all feeling and emotion and her cheekbones stuck out on her face. Her hair began falling out in wisps and she barely had any left on her head. The skin on her arms began to droop and her bones stuck out everywhere. She refused to eat some days, and when she did, she threw it all up after.

Most days she never got out of bed, unless we forced her too. And on the days she did, she would go sit out in the meadow near our house, for hours. Just sitting in the flowers, making daisy chains while singing songs. Sometimes she would talk about Prim, and me as if she were telling someone. Telling Father. Or sometimes she would talk to the sun.

For the longest time I thought she would never come back to this world. Come back to me. But after a while, she slowly became better. We all did.

But people still give her weird looks, or give Prim and I looks of pity whenever we walk past. And that's all because of what happened 5 years ago. All because of love.

I still remember the happy memories of Father and Mother. During spring, when all the flowers were beginning to bloom, Mother would take me out there and we would play in the meadow. Father would come along too, singing folk songs for us while we danced.

During the winter I would curl up on Father's lap in front of the fire, while he told me stories about my late grandparents and about Panem before the dark ages.

Once, on Christmas Eve, Father came home from the hob with a sack of apples. Mother seasoned them with herbs and spices, and that night we roasted them over the fire. And when I woke up the next day I found a brand new, red-checkered dress lying under our tree. It was too big, but it was the best present I had ever received.

Then there was also the day where Mother and Father told me they were having another baby. I was so excited; I had always wanted a little brother or sister! I remember dreaming about the day when God would give me a little sibling.

I had lots of happy memories after Prim was born, so many I am not even going to bother mentioning any.

I always knew my parents were in love, they showed me in so many ways. And during the time they were in love they were the happiest people in Panem.

But after their love had broken, my Mother was no longer happy. That's the weird thing about love. While love is thriving everyone is enjoying him or herself and having the time of their life. But once it ends, everything is gone. All happiness, dignity, compassion even humanity is lost.

All because of one particular four letter word. It picks you up and when you least expect it, it drops you onto cold, hard pavement.

After seeing the affects of love and how it affects everyone around you, I vowed to never love. To never fall into the trap. But little did I know that I was involuntarily heading towards it, rapidly.

**So…. I know that was short, but it was needed! Darius will be in the next chapter (hopefully) so don't worry Katius shippers! Please review and if you like this pairing please check out FishFlapper' Katius story, 'I am of Those She Despises'. It's really cool!**

**Since I do have other stories on the go right now, updates will be less frequent for ALL! Especially for Gone! I gave you 3 chapters within 2 weeks, spoiled people….**

**I plan for a little bit of OOC, mostly from Katniss. I am planning on her having a better relationship with her Mother, since I didn't like how distant she was with her in the books. Just a heads up!**

**Please review and if you have ANY ideas for the story, please tell me! I desperately need them! But to let you know, I will not put any slash/lemons whatever you call it and hopefully no swearing in this story! Review!**

**(P.S. Not all the other chapters will be as… sad or depressing. Hopefully they will be happier! Well, as happy as you can get in District 12)**


	2. How To Get Into A Fight

Hi! I want to say thank you for the wonderful reviews that I have already received! It's great to see so much support already! I love you all! And I know that this chapter was a bit cheesy, but oh well.

"Catnip, what's wrong?" Gale asks as I attempt to build a fire. I stop what I'm doing and look over at him.

"What do you mean? Everything is fine" I mutter frustrated that the fire will not start. Gale chuckles to himself and takes the rock and stick out of my hand. He rubs them together and a spark forms within a few seconds. He throws it into the pile of dried up grass and wood, surrounded by small rocks.

The grass catches ablaze quickly ad I find myself stretching my hands out in front of me in hopes that it will warm my body. Gale does the same and my hands warm up promptly.

We are both silent for a moment, until Gale speaks up.

"I know you Katniss. You are not being yourself today. Please tell me what's wrong" I look up and he has a pitiful look on his face.

"Prim's goat died a few days ago. She is utterly depressed. I am really worried about her, she's almost as bad as Mother was" I mumble, the last part barely inaudible

"Really? She's that upset over an animal?" He snorts. I look up at him in shock, almost ready to slap him.

"How could you even say something like that? You know how Prim gets attached to things not even worth getting attached to! But this goat, was a source of food, money and was the difference between life and death!" I scream spitefully. I stand up and begin to run away.

Who does he think he is? He knows that we haven't that much money and he knows how important Lady is to us! Just because he has a real job now working in the mines doesn't mean he can expect us to be getting along fine!

In fact, we are worse off now than we have ever been. Now since Gale can only hunt on Sundays mean that during the week when I go hunting I don't have as much stuff to trade. I've even considered going to Cray for extra money.

I've been trying to teach Rory how to hunt, and he's gotten pretty good with snares. It must run in the family. But he still has a ways to go with the bow and arrows. I've been letting him practice with my old set from when I was younger, since I don't want him wrecking mine or Gale's.

He snapped one of the arrows in half by accident and put a large crack on the bow. I don't know how he does it!

I will admit that I miss the company of Gale, but him and Rory are so similar that there is barely a difference. He reminds me so much of Gale when he was that age. He is about 5 9" and very lean. His hair is a short dark brown like his brother's, but his is kept nicely. He's got some muscle on him and his eyes are a soft muggy green. That's what makes him stand out from his family and even the whole district.

He'll be turning 15 in a quite few months, but I still think of him as a kid. I think that's what frustrates him so. Gale treats him like a little kid all the time and Rory has never really had much of a chance to show the man he really is. Ever since he was a kid his Father was in charge. And when his Father died, Gale became the head of the family.

Rory may only be a year and a half younger than me, but I have a lot of respect for him. He is a very studious kid and loves reading. He excels in all subjects in school especially in Literature and History. Unfortunately, he gets picked on quite a bit because of that. Luckily, he doesn't let all that negative feedback wear him down. He continues to read as many stories as possible and loves to write.

Whenever I go over to the Hawthorne's he's hunched over a stack of papers in his bedroom. The bedroom is usually locked, but whenever I knock on it, he opens right up. I'll go sit on Gales bed which is pushed against the left wall while he writes on his old style desk in front of the window. We don't talk, which is fine, but sometimes he'll bring over a chapter or two for me to read.

If I so much as furrow my eyebrows, he'll snatch the papers out of my hand and erase furiously. It's kind of frustrating since what he writes is very complicating and some times confuses me. And when I do that, I frown, purse my lips and furrow my eyebrows. I've told him what my actions mean, but he still ignores me. He says that if it's too complicating to read than it shouldn't be in the story.

He is a very stubborn child.

He may look the same as Gale, but they are like night and day. Gale is very proud and takes crap from no one. Rory doesn't like to be pushed around either, but he is subtler and self preserved. Gale likes to be the center of attention, whereas Rory likes to stay in the shadows. Gale is a womanizer, Rory is too young to be doing such things, but has a too innocent of a heart to do such things. Rory is a caring soul and is very gentle which makes him come off as innocent and nice. But Gale is loud, brave and manly, he has the appearance of a hands on, bad boy.

Nothing about them is similar. Well, maybe their physical appearance, but that is all.

* * *

I blindly run through the forest, straining to hear Gale's footsteps. I pause for a moment, when I feel like I have outrun him and look at my surroundings. I know this place, I am near the border of the District! I hear the squawking of birds from the distance and I take of running in the direction of where I store my weapons.

After a few seconds of sprinting I locate the hollowed out tree that I store my bow and arrows, knives, small spears and fishnets. As I am lowering my arrow sheath into the tree, I get tackled to the ground.

I let out a short scream from being caught off guard and I feel a heavy weight on top of me. The impact of hitting the ground winds me and I try to take in gulps of air. I feel the heavy weight on top of me more and soon Gale lowers his face to mine.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" He snarls. His eyes are filled with detest and hatred and I whimper underneath him. I struggle to keep blood flowing through my legs, since Gale's so bloody heavy.

"Why do you have to be so arrogant and deluded?" I screech as my right hand latches onto a nearby rock, I raise my arm and slam it against his shoulder. He howls out in pain and releases his tight hold on me. I use this opportunity to get away from him and climb through the small opening in the chain link fence.

I hear him screaming for me to come back, I continue to stumble through the snow-covered meadow, not daring to look back. I hear the familiar crunch of snow echoing from behind me and my legs speed up. For some reason I run straight past my house and onto the worn down road.

He's right on my tail and my adrenaline is running high. I feel a cramp forming in the lower quadrant of my stomach and my legs are starting to seize up. I stumble on the up sticking root of a nearby tree and fall forward.

As my body hits the cold hard earth I recognize the searing pain in my ankle. I attempt to cry out in pain, but my throat is so dry that no sound comes out.

I feel a pair of familiar hands drag me to the stump of a tree. I ever so slightly raise my head to perceive a very angry Gale, Mordelious, John, Hawthorne.

"Why are you offended to easily?" He asks, exasperated. He lowers his weight onto my foot and this time I let out an ear-piercing scream. He raises his body and plants it beside my foot. Good to know he hasn't lost _all_ humanity.

"What was I thinking? What were you thinking, insulting Prim like that? How could you even say something like that?" I cry out, the burning pain in my ankle overtaking me.

"You HIT me with a freaking stone! And besides, it's not that big of a deal" Oh, he's done it now. We live in freaking District 12! Goats or any type of animal is the difference between life and death! I look him straight in the eye, lit ablaze with pure hatred.

I raise my right hand slap him across the face, hard. His head turns to the side and I see his jaw set. He rigidly turns his face and I notice that his eyes have darkened, considerably.

Not allowing me to even scream he seizes my neck with his two hands and begins to squeeze the life out of me. I grasp at him, trying to claw him away. But it's hopeless, he's too strong and I am far too weak. Black dots form in my vision and I begin to feel light headed. Gale's never acted like this before, being in the mines really changed him…

* * *

Thump….thump.. .thump

I hear footsteps; they're getting faster while at the same time getting quieter. Suddenly I feel Gale's muscular hands get ripped away from my precious neck and air quickly consumes me. I cough a few times as I take in huge gulps of air. While doing so, I hear yelling and the noises of fighting coming from nearby.

I look up and see Gale getting into a free for all with a red haired man. He's about the same height as him, perhaps an inch or two shorter. He's leaner, but you can tell that everything on him is pure muscle.

I watch as Gale throws a lousy punch and the stranger lowers his upper body. Then he plummets his fist into Gale stomach. Gale grunts as he folds in half, but then stretches out again and smashes his bloody knuckles into the redhead's jaw. The guy stumbles back, but then charges forward and tackles Gale.

I watch in horror as the wrestle in the dirty snow, attempting to stand up and protect Gale. Even though he injured me, he's still my friend and I will not let someone injure him. But every time I move my foot, a piercing pain shoots through my ankle. So I sit, there, helpless as a wounded dear.

I gasp when the redhead gains dominance and positions himself on top of Gale. Then he begins throwing punches. Gale defends himself, while throwing a few of his own. All the while they are screaming nonsense to each other.

"Who gives you the right to abuse and possibly murder young girls?" He snarls as he dodges a punch thrown by Gale

"I wasn't abusing her and I would never kill her!" Gale screams in his defense. Just now I have realized how in the wrong Gale is. I stop screaming and watch silently the fight before me.

"Maybe in your eyes" The redhead hollers. Gale stops fighting and so does the redhead. He climbs off of Gale and saunters over to me. He kneels down beside me and I avoid his gaze.

"Tell me where he hurt you," The redhead utters. I keep my mouth clamped shut and I feel him place a hand on my upper leg.

"Katniss, I need to know," I gasp as he says my name and I turn to look at his face. It's Darius! His skin has tanned a bit more and what used to be bright red hair is now auburn. He's more clean-shaven and has gained some more muscle. He's been in District 2 for the past few months, getting some additional training that is required yearly.

"I think I twisted my ankle, I can't move it without it hurting" I whimper meekly. He examines my foot, twisting it ever so slightly which causes me to wince. At this he lets go and looks at my neck.

"Well your ankle is defiantly messed up and you are probably going to have bruises forming on you neck soon" He says absentmindedly. I look over my shoulder and see Gale lying in the snow moaning. His left shoulder is all bloody and there seems to be a streak of blood running from his nose.

I look at Darius and he looks a little ruffed up as well.

"I need to get you home to your Mother, Gale as well" Darius says as he lowers his arms underneath me, bridal style. I slap him and push him away.

"I don't need your help, I am completely capable of taking care of myself," I grumble. He glares at me while rubbing the side of is cheek.

"In your condition, I don't think you have much of a choice" He argues as he positions his arms underneath me again. This time I don't resist as he pulls me into his chest. Hmmm, he smells like herbs and honey. I sniff him one more time and he chuckles.

Heat rushes to my face and he walks towards Gale.

"Gale, you okay?" He says as he slowly places me on the ground. Well that was a momentous ride. He kneels beside him as Gale speaks.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" He snarls. I roll my eyes at his stubbornness.

"Come on, we're going to Miss Everdeen's house" Darius says as he helps Gale up. Gale starts towards me, but is stopped by Darius

"What do you think you're doing?" Darius snarls as Gale faces him

"Well Catnip is hurt, I'm going to carry her home"

"There is no frigging way that you are touching Katniss, after what you did to her" Darius snaps as he lifts me up. They argue the entire time going home and I'm being carried silently by Darius. Several times Gale tries to snatch me away from Darius. It was rather annoying.

Finally we made it home and Mother began to fuss over Gale and me. First she inspected Gale's shoulder. She put some kid of ointment on it, and then wrapped it up in bandages. She also gave him a bag of ice to put on his head since he diagnosed with a very serious concussion.

Then she studied my ankle. She was not as careful as Darius was and turned my ankle in painful positions viciously. I howled out in pain, and after my first howl Darius came and grabbed my hand. Whenever I felt pain he told me to squeeze his hand.

I feel a little guilty now, since he probably will not be able to use his hand for the next year or so.

"Well, it looks like you dislocated your foot, but you somehow managed to pop it back in…" She trails off into her own little world "And one of the times when you fell you shattered part of your right arm" What? I didn't even experience any pain both times I fell, or got tackled.

"Are you sure? My arm never hurt" I say in disagreement

"Oh really?" Then she reaches over and squeezes my arm ever so slightly. I jump up on the table and howl in pain and slap her hand away. I avoid her gaze, but I know she's smirking. Then she wraps up my foot in a thick bandage and puts my arm in a handmade cast.

The cast is really just a thick bandage, wrapped up really tight with some kid of coating on it. It's rather painful now. Mother also explains to me that I have quite a few of undeveloped bruises.

"Mr. Meyers, your turn" Mother says as she guides Darius towards her medical table

"Oh, no. I must be going" He attempts to resist. But… fails. She forces him onto the medical table and begins to examine him. After a few minutes she comes up with the medical diagnostics.

"Okay, Mr. Meyers-"

"Please, call me Darius" He interrupts

"Fine. Darius, you seem to have a minor concussion and sprained wrist. You also have a slightly twisted knee" Oh, wow. He is really ruffed up.

"Well, thank you ma'am. I must be going now," He says as he stands up. She forcefully pushes him back onto the table.

"No. You are in no condition to more around and will stay here until you are healthy," She says sternly

"I'm afraid I will have to decline-"

"Well, I am afraid I will have to force you to stay here until you are well" She states. She turns around and has a fiery look in her eyes. She puts some ointment on him and wraps him up real well. She gives some kind of medicine that Gale also got then turns around to me.

"Katniss, can you show Gale and Darius to the bedroom. I want them to lay down, as well as yourself" I nod my head as I hobble on my foot over to the couch where Gale is resting. I tap him on the shoulder and he looks up at me. I motion for him to follow me and he does so. Darius jogs up to me and wraps his arm around me for support. I mutter a small thank you as I open the door to the bedroom.

The bedroom contains a bed at both ends of the room, one for Prim and myself while the other bed was for Mother and Father. At the end of each bed was a chest where we kept our clothes and such. At the opposite side of the room is a small, old fashioned working desk and has drafts of stories that Father once tried to write stacked high. Inkwells are tipped over with dried ink ruining all of Prim's assignments for school. Book pages are torn apart from their books and are thrown on the floor. Dirty, unwashed clothes lay in piles in the corners of the room, collecting dust as they sit, begging to be washed. A sole dingy little window sits directly across from the door with a paled yellow curtain, which prevents prowlers from spying on us.

The glass for the window is shattered and allows wind to blow freely through the frame. The curtains flail seamlessly attached to the curtain rod, which gives of an eerie feeling to the place. A mixture of dust and dirt coats the floor and any available surface, while the sun places a glowing tint on everything.

On the left side of the door is a faded pink vanity with paint peeling off it. Old books, empty perfume bottles, scraps of cloth, buttons and jewelry smother the vanity. A small stool is placed in front of it with a large pile of books on it. I take a quick glance at it and the books I can identify are, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Oliver Twist, and A Midsummer Nights Dream, Black Beauty, Moby Dick and Prim's favorite, Little Women.

These were my Great Grandmother's books from when she was a young adult. All other copies of these books were lost in history, but she managed to salvage quite a few. She said they were classics. I always wondered what that meant.

My Great Grandparents lived in a time before the dark ages, before Panem. Father told me about how they owned a small bookshop. Cramped with as many books as possible. He told me that Great Grandpa Alzeyic and Great Grandma Arial treated their books as if it were their own children. I have to say I find that preposterous and a waste of time, but if it weren't for them then we wouldn't have these high piles of books embroidering the walls.

"Umm, Darius you can take Mother's bed since it's larger and Gale you can take ours" I say as I drape a thick, moth eaten, wool quilt over the window to prevent any light or wind from breaking through. Immediately the room darkens and I cannot even see 4 inches in front of me. I shuffle around the room, having memorized the dimensions. I hear Gale lay down on my bed with a grunt and I chuckle inwardly to myself. Only Gale can make himself right at home after having a fight.

I feel around on the nightstand trying to find the stub of the candle that I use for reading on late nights. As my hand finally comes across a waxy, stubby surface I twirl my fingers around it and turn around.

I let out a surprised gasp as I feel a man's hand on my left breast.

* * *

**Haha! I am laughing maniacally right now! I am so mean! Don't worry, a chapter will be coming rather quickly, but not as long! DEFIANTLY! This one is over 3,500 words! Please review, it means so much to me!**

**Don't worry, I'll keep my promise from the previous chapter, there will be no slash/lemons in the next chapters, or any to be precise. There may be some hints at it, but nothing in detail or anything remote. Review!**


	3. I know What's good For You

**Hello all! So, the next chapters will not be as frequent, I have other stories to write you know! (And a life outside Fan Fiction)**

**I just want to confirm the ages of everyone, please do not be mad that some are changed.**

**Mrs. Everdeen-42**

**Katniss Everdeen-16**

**Primrose Everdeen-12/13**

**Mrs. Hawthorne-44**

**Gale Hawthorne-18/19**

**Rory Hawthorne-14/15**

**Vick Hawthorne-11**

**Posy Hawthorne-6**

**Darius Meyers-20**

**Cray Conners (Yes, he will be in here)-31**

**Hope this satisfies you!**

* * *

I let out a gasp when I feel a man's hand on my left breast.

I am frozen in place while the man's handprint on my shirt gets hotter and hotter. My eyes widen as he slightly squeezes me. I have never been in this type of situation before, so I do not really know what to do. I swing my hand in the direction of where I assume the man's head would be. Wait, Gale is sleeping on the bed beside me and the only other man in the room is…

"Darius..." I let out a breathy rasp. He immediately retracts his hand and Gale lets out a loud snore, breaking the obvious tension.

"Katniss, I-I didn't m-mean to. I-I was t-trying to help you walk, I'm r-really sorry" His voice is really shaky right now.

"I think you should ummm… go lay down, now" I say uncomfortably. I can practically still feel his hand on me, his warm handprint embedded on my shirt. I shudder at the recent memory.

"Alright" I expect him to turn around lay down in bed, but instead he reaches forward and grabs my forearm. He pulls me to him and let out a muffled yelp as my ankle drags on the floor.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot about your ankle…" He pulls me into his body and my head rests against his chest. I ignore the pain in my ankle as he slightly lifts me up to prevent my foot from dragging on the floor. I can hear his heart beat and it's pounding rapidly. I shift my head against his shirt so I'm facing where his face should be. I can almost see his daring green eyes, sparkling through the bottomless darkness consuming us.

I feel his arm reach down to the crook in my knees and pick me up. He silently carries me bridal style to Mother's bed. He lays me down onto the soft quilt and starts towards the other side of the bed. I sit up and grab his hand. A hot chill courses through me and I immediately let go.

"I think I should lay in my bed with Gale" I mutter, avoiding his obvious glance

"Nonsense. That bed is much smaller and Gale takes up all space," He argues as he crawls into bed beside me

"That's fine. Gale and I are comfortable cuddling up close to each other" At this comment Darius stops fussing with the blankets and a smirk grows upon my face.

"You will not sleep in the same bed as Gale, not in your condition and the reason why you are in that condition" He snaps sternly. I roll my eyes and hoist myself up on my hands.

I place my foot on the floor and put all my weight on it. I try to hop over to Gale's bed but Darius prevents me from moving any further. He wraps his muscular arms around my lower waist and brings his body close to me.

Then he whispers in my ear "Stop resisting, I know what's good for you" His voice is low and husky and his warm breath burns my skin. I let out a breath that I hadn't known I was holding in and I feel myself relaxing. He recognizes this and brings his right hand lower and lower down my hipbone.

He reaches the top of my leg and his hand continues ever so slowly going straight down. My body goes limp as his hand reaches mid thigh. He brings his hand to the back of my thigh and brings his arm around the back of both my legs.

Once again he carries me back into the bed bridal style, and tucks me between the sheets. I hear him climb into bed on the other side and after a few moments he stops fidgeting with the blankets.

I find it funny how Darius at some points can be teasing and be acting silly then go to protective and violent. He has two sides of him. And strangely, I adore both. His joking, childish side at times can be annoying, but at the same time, fun.

Gale and I usually see him at the hob, flirting with vendors and young girls or sitting at Sae's booth making friendly chat with whoever is willing to listen. He always attempts to persuade me into giving him a rabbit or a squirrel in exchange for a few kisses. I think it is ridiculous, but it's a nice thought to know someone is pining for me. I know, I know. I am not the type of girl who feeds on compliments, but I enjoy thinking about his petty wishes before I go to sleep.

Mother and Primrose always say how Darius is in love with me and that we would have the cutest babies. The first time they said that, we were currently eating dinner and I spit out my stew all over the table. It was such a surprise and I did not know what to make of it. Him being in love with me was always in the back of my mind, but I never thought too much of it. There were more precious things I could occupy my mind with.

But now, the thought of Darius perhaps being in love with me is almost comforting. Although, I might be able to use this to my advantage.

Darius' arms wrap themselves around my waist and his head resting on my neck awakens me from my thoughts.

"What are you thinking about Kitten?" He purrs into my ear as he massages my stomach with his thumb

Nothing important, I almost say, but instead I hear myself whispering seductively "You"

I turn my face towards his and our noses are touching.

"Oh really?" He questions as he brings his hand up to face. He cups my neck and rubs the back of it. With our faces so close to one another I can make out the lines of his face: his eyes, nose, and lips.

The air around us gets hot and heavy and I let out a small gasp as I feel Darius's lips upon my own.

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**Dun. Dun. Dun. So, how was it? I know it wasn't very long, but I told FishFlapper that it would be up today, so… blame her! Just Kidding, don't blame her. She is my top reviewer and supporter and I thank her for giving me the courage to write this story! Check out her Katius story, I Am Of Those She Despises, it's super amazing and extremely well written!**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, and of course favorite. Please write a review for this story, it would mean so much! And also, I hope to expand the Katius grounds so please, write a story for this pairing and if you do, please tell me about it. I would love to read it and I may mention it in here….**

**I wonder what Katniss has up her sleeve?... Just Kidding, I already know! I already have this planned out! But you, you do not know! So this will be a thrilling adventure for you!**

**On that note, FishFlapper you better mention mine in yours, since you are down her many, many times.**

**Please review your thoughts it means so much to me!**

**(Also, I am planning on changing the name from 'What if?' to 'The Meaning of Survival'! Would that be a good idea? Please tell me ASAP!)**


	4. Whether She likes it or not

**Darius POV**

I've never felt anything nearly as good as kissing Katniss Everdeen. Her lips are soft and tender, swollen from never been kissed before. But sadly, our beautiful compassionate kissing fest is quickly brought to an end when a small, blue eyed, blonde standing in the doorway interrupts us.

"Katniss, mother wanted you to-AHHH! What, are you doing?" Primrose shrieks, shielding her eyes. Katniss immediately retracts her lips from mine, and my body misses her warmth instantly.

"Primrose, we were just err, uhh…"

"I know what you were doing Katniss!" Prim shrieks as she storms out of the room. Katniss tries to follow her, but her ankle is preventing her from doing so. She huffs and plops down on the mattress and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Katniss" I start

"Please, Darius. I-I don't really feel like talking right now," She says

"I'm sorry Katniss, I shouldn't have done that. It's my entire fault" I start

"No, Darius, it's not your fault. I should have known Prim would walk in" She explains

"Does that mean you enjoyed it? The kiss?" I ask tentatively. I sense her turn on her side and she lets out a breathy laugh.

"Sure" She says. I can practically see the blush forming on her face.

"Regretting all of those other chances you had to taste these lips?" I joke. I wait for a response, but sadly I don't get one. Did I piss her off?

"Katni-" I am interrupted by Katniss leaning over and kissing me. At first I'm frozen from shock, and when I start to kiss back we are interrupted, once again by the sound of someone clearing his or her throat.

Katniss immediately pulls away and we both look at the door. There standing with an un-amused look is Mrs. Everdeen.

"Mrs. Everdeen we were just errr, uhhh"

"I know what you two were doing, but remember boy" She takes a few steps closer to me pointing her finger at me "You better keep you hands to yourself. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am, I-I'll be sure to do that," I say as I run my hands through my hair. I look over at Katniss and she's blushing like crazy.

"Mother leave him alone," Katniss says trying to defend me as well as her. Mrs. Everdeen raises an eyebrow and gives Katniss a questioning look. She shrugs it off and explains to us that dinner is ready and that Katniss will need some help getting to the table. Then she leaves and everything suddenly becomes awkward again.

"It is a wonder that Gale slept through all that," She says breaking the ice. A smile creeps onto my face and I turn and look at her.

"Sit down on the bed and I'll wake up Gale, okay?" I explain. She nods her head and positions herself on the wrinkled mattress. I walk over to the other bed where Gale is in a deep slumber and slap him in the face.

"WAKE UP FOR GOD'S SAKE" I yell in his face. After a few seconds he flutters open his eyes and an annoyed look appears on his face. We stay like that for a few minutes, just staring at each other. I hear a huff from across the room and Katniss is sitting there with her arms crossed.

"Supper is ready" At that Gale pushes me over and stands up. I expect him to run out the door into the kitchen, but instead he walks over and helps Katniss up.

I watch as he wraps his arm around her waist for support. Then they begin to walk out.

"Hey" They stop and turn around "Do you want me to help you instead Katniss" I say as I grab onto her arm.

"No, it's fine Darius, let Gale help me" She says in protest and brushes me off. I groan inwardly and walk towards the table. I sit down and notice that Prim is glaring at me. I wonder what her problem is I thought she loved me.

Sitting in front of me is a platter of cooked Grooseling covered in herbs and spices, a bowl of raspberry salad with nuts and other berries mixed in. A jug of fresh water and some home made bread, a bowl of Chard dressed in Goat cheese, wild onions, and garlic are all placed out nicely on a fading checkered tablecloth.

Dinner consists of Mrs. Everdeen eating silently, Prim sneaking food to her cat when she _thinks_ people aren't watching while Gale and I convers. Gale speaks to Katniss as well, but she's avoiding looking at me.

"Is everyone finished? How about I go bring out some dessert" Mrs. Everdeen says as she wipes her hands on her serviette and slides back he chair

"You made dessert?" Primrose asks wide eyed "We already had such a big dinner, I'm not even sure I can eat anything more"

Mrs. Everdeen smirks "I'm sure you'll find room sweetheart" She says as she kisses the top of her head. Then she rushes off into the small kitchen attached to the shack.

"So Katniss, I see the snares have been doing you good, that Groose is quite large" At this Mrs. Everdeen walks back in holding a tray of tarts. She places them down on the table and shoots her daughter a glance.

"Katniss" She hisses, and shoots her eyes towards me. Katniss looks up at me and I see it in slow motion. The way her hair flows around her shoulders and how her eyes spark up as they lock with mine. The way her cheeks flush as she glances at my lips.

"Yes, I agree. But they wouldn't be nearly as good with out Gale's input" She says as she places her hand atop his and smiles at him. I can literally feel my eye twitch as Gale returns the smile causing Katniss' cheeks to flush and glance down at her lap.

"Yum!" I am taken from my thoughts as Primrose munches loudly on her tart "This are so good, Mother"

"I agree with dear Prim, these are simply divine Mrs. Everdeen. You have such a way in the kitchen" She lets out a small giggle and a blush and I smirk to myself. I guess it isn't too bad to get onto her good side.

"Well thank you very much Darius, but Katniss made the tarts. And gathered the berries as well" I guess it isn't a bad idea to get onto her good side either.

"And you said you can't cook" I joke as I swivel my head to face Katniss. She looks down at her hands that are now thankfully both back in her lap and mutters something inaudible.

"Speak up Katniss, no one can hear" Mrs. Everdeen scolds. She shoots her a glare then raises her chin to look at me. Why does she seem to get more beautiful every time I look at her?

"I've been practicing" She says and appears to be off in her own little world as she stares into my pupils. Primrose snaps her fingers in front of her face and Katniss wakes from her trance. A blush finds her face and she returns to eat her tart. I do the same and I can feel the glare shot from Gale across the table.

**Mrs. Everdeen POV**

Why does Katniss have to be so stubborn? Right now she is sitting at a table with two suitable future husbands, and she is practically ignoring both! Yes, I know, she is only 16, she doesn't need to worry about a husband yet. But most girls find husbands when they turn 18. I know lots of men find Katniss attractive, but if she wants to ever get married, she needs to step up her game. And quite frankly, Gale and Darius are the only ones who I find acceptable to be a future son in law.

She will be wed to one of these two, whether she likes it or not.

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**OH MY GOSH! I AM SO SO SO SORRY! CAN YOU PLEASE FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO FORGIVE ME? I have not been a very good author lately. I've neglected all of my stories :(. I was just taking a small break to refresh my mind. And you'll be happy to know that I have lots of ideas for ALL of my stories. If you follow any of my other stories don't worry, and update should be soon. Don't expect one before or right after the weekend(I might find it in me to write a chapter) because we're going away for the weekend and because Friday is my birthday! I'm turning 13! Anyways, I've been really busy, but that's no excuse.**

**I am surprised by the amount of people who like the story and your support means so much to me! Please leave a review, I love hearing feedback! You are the only reason I even update this story!**


	5. Competition and Teasing

**Gale POV**

Who does this guy think he is? Putting the moves on Katniss? He has no chance as long as I'm around, and he knows it. I am much closer to Vera, yes Vera, we're even on a first name basis. And she has hinted many times that I need to jump on that train before it rides away. She has some weird expressions…

I love her, but I'm just afraid to tell Katniss. I don't want to be shot down and ruin our great friendship, but there is no way in hell that Darius will be getting with her.

I glare at Darius across the table as he just complimented Katniss, my Katniss. I know exactly what he's trying to do, get on her good side so it'll be easier for him to seduce her into marriage.

"Would you like some help clearing the table, Vera?" I say politely as I push my chair away from the table.

"That would be so helpful Gale," She chirps. I bend down to pick up Katniss' plate and give her a sweet smile. She blushes and hands me her cup.

I go all around the table collecting everyone's plates, well, with the exception of Darius.

"You're a grown man Darius, I think you're capable of taking your own dishes to the sink don't you?" I say with a hint of condescension. He rolls his eyes and stands up and walks into the cramped kitchen.

Prim is already in there washing the dishes and I grab a cloth to help dry them. As my hand grabs onto the tea towel another hand does as well. I look up and a grimace appears on my face as I stare into the pupils of none other than Darius Meyers.

"Let go," I say sternly

"No, I had it first" He argues as he tugs on the cloth

"No, I did now scram" I say as I tug on the cloth. He tugs back and I growl and this goes on for a few minutes.

"Excuse me boys, but these dishes can't dry themselves" An annoyed Prim speaks up from behind me.

"Don't worry Prim, I'll dry them when you tell this tool that I had the cloth first and I will be the one to dry the dishes" I say in my sweetest voice

"That's not true, I had it first and we both know it" He huffs from behind me. I watch as Prim crosses her arms and walks out of the room rolling her eyes.

I look back to look at Darius and we stare into each other's eyes, then we both pull hard on the cloth and my heart drops to my stomach when I hear the sound of fabric ripping.

Prim POV

I walk into the dining room/living room annoyed by how stubborn those two boys are. I sit next to Katniss on the old couch and interrupt her reading.

"Those two are all over you Katniss" I say in a sickly sweet voice. She closes her book and looks up at me

"No they aren't, they are just uh, trying to out do one another" She stutters trying to think of an excuse

"Yeah, for your hand in marriage" I tease. I let out a small giggle as her mouth goes agape and she glare at me

"Are you kidding me? Gale and I are just friends and Darius is well, my friend too" She says annoyed

"Yeah cause friends just suck each other's face" I say as I watch as her face turns a bright red and she looks down at her hands.

"Since when did you become so annoying?" She asks, I shrug my shoulders and give a slight smirk

"And we weren't sucking face he was uh, telling me something" She lies

"I know what I saw" I say as I stand up and walk into my bedroom. I turn on the dying light and I let out a gasp as I see wrinkled bed sheets. Katniss you are a naughty girl, I think to myself as I walk to the bed and make the sheets.

Then I go to the vanity and pull open one of the old rotting drawers where my nightgown is placed. I pull it out and lay it on my bed. Then I unbutton my pale blue shirt and let it fall to the floor. I undo the button on my skirt and push it down to my ankles.

I begin to unclasp my bra when I hear the door opening. I let out a shriek as I turn to look at the intruder. Standing in the doorway is Gale with a frightened look on his face, and I watch as his eyes go wide as notices my lack of clothing. I grab a book and throw it at his head and scream at him to get out.

He leaves immediately and I feel my heart rate racing. Has he ever heard of the art of knocking? I shake my head and climb into my nightgown then I walk out into the living room where everyone must be wondering what happened. Katniss is still sitting on the couch, refusing to look at anyone. Mother is sorting some herbs into bottles while Darius sits beside Katniss trying to start a conversation. And Gale is sitting awkwardly at the table.

I shut the door behind me and Gale looks up.

"Prim I am so sorry I didn't realize it wasn't locked and I didn't se-"

"No, stop talking" I interrupt Gale and continue towards Mother to help with her medicines.

"What happened?" Katniss finally asks as she looks questionably at Gale. His eyes dart from me to Katniss and I cut in before he says something stupid, like the truth.

"Nothing Katniss, don't worry dear sister," I say as I shoot a look at Gale. He understands and looks back at his hands.

"Are you sure Prim? You're acting quite strange," She asks and I can see a little tinkle in her eye, which means she knows exactly what happened. I wonder if something like that has ever happened to her.

"Yup, everything is perfectly peachy" I say abruptly and walk uncomfortably into my bedroom knowing everyone's eyes are on me.

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**Haha ok, so I know that was short but I tried to incorporate some humor into it. I hoped you liked the part with Gale and Darius competing with each other and the incident with Prim and Gale.**


	6. Croissants

**Peeta POV**

It's December now, and continuously snowing and getting colder by the day. The school closed down a few days ago due to furnace malfunctions. I assume that it won't be opened back up until after Christmas.

Sales at the Mellark Bakery have been doing terrific; lots of orders for ginger snap cookies and cakes have been coming in. Leaving me with lots of decorating and baking to do.

With all this business coming in we have hired some people to work for us. We hired another bus boy, Timothy Raymond who is the son of one of the teachers at the school. And the other is Primrose Everdeen who sweeps the floors and washes the windows and things like that.

My Father absolutely adores her and my mother well…tolerates her. But Primrose has a calming affect on Mother; she tends not to yell as much when she's around.

I heard the jingle of the front door opening as I'm taking out a tray of cookies from the oven. I walk up to the front while wiping off my hands on my apron.

"Welcome to the Mellark Bakery, how can I help you?" I say as I walk into the front room and see none other than Katniss Everdeen.

She's wearing a grey wool sweater underneath under her jacket. On her legs she's wearing a pair of brown trousers tucked into a pair of thick, knee high socks. A pair of worn, leather brown boots keeps her feet warm while a pair of finger mittens warms her hands. Her hair is out of its usual braid and is swinging loosely around her shoulders underneath a grey knitted hat.

"I'm just here to pick up Prim, I didn't want her walking home alone" She says while rubbing her hands together and I notice how she's slightly shivering.

"Would you like some hot chocolate? I hear I make the best in town" I wink at Primrose and she giggles

"No, we have to get home for dinner, but thanks for the gesture" Katniss says in a monotone voice as she grabs her sister's hand

"Well at least let me give you something to take home, just think of it as a pay raise for Miss Prim here" I say as I grab a box full of croissants and cookies. I place it on the counter as I open the cash register. I pull out 5 dollars smile at Katniss.

"Here you go, be careful on your way home. It looks like it's going to storm tonight," I say as my eyes peer beyond the two girls and out the window. It's rather dark out, with heavy dark clouds glooming over the terrain.

"We will, and thanks for the food Peeta" Prim says with a big smile. She hands the box to Katniss and puts the money in her pocket. She walks up to jacket rack and pulls down her bright red coat.

Katniss gives me a small smile and I return it happily. I watch silently as the two sisters walk out of the small bakery and back towards their house in the Seam.

**Katniss POV**

We reach the Hawthorne's house as snow begins to fall down in small clumps. Vick and Rory are setting the table while Mother and Hazelle are finishing up with the cooking. Gale is playing a game with Posy down on the rug and I decide to go and put the food Peeta gave us in the kitchen.

"Ooh what is that?" Hazelle asks immediately as I walk into the cramped kitchen. I place the box down on the counter and Mother begins to open it. A beautiful array of weirdly shaped buns and a few beautifully decorated cookies lay neatly inside the box.

I hear the two mothers gasp behind me as I say "What is wrong with those buns?"

"Oh dear, they're called croissants Katniss. They are absolutely delicious, I remember eating some when I was young" Mother says while laughing slightly

"Oh" Is all I reply as Hazelle grabs a few and puts them on a plate and carries them out to the dinner table

"Katniss take off your jacket, you must be boiling in it" Mother says as she grabs a bowl that has some type of stew in it and walks out to the table. I follow and hang my jacket on the coat rack with my hat and mittens stuffed in the arms. I look over and Gale is playing Pony with Posy. I notice that everyone else is sitting down at the table and decide to take my seat.

Gale sits across from me, Prim beside me and Vick on the other side of me. Beside Gale is Posy and on the other side of him is where my mother sits. And at one end of the table Hazelle sits down.

Our meal consists of Squirrel stew, a salad of greens, wild turnips, the croissants Peeta gave us and goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves-a pretty good meal for here in District 12 if I say so myself. I make sure to get a good helping of each item while leaving enough for the others.

"What are these strange buns?" Gale asks while looking at the one in his hand strangely

"Oh Peeta Mellark gave them to me, as part of my pay for the day" Prim says between mouthfuls. With that Gale throws down the decadent pastry and digs into his stew.

"Food is food Gale, we aren't in a position to be picky" Hazelle scolds while biting into the croissant.

"But I refuse to accept charity from useless town people" He says while glaring at his mother. I sigh as I rip off a part of the croissant and eat it. I have never tasted anything so fine. It's so soft and seems to disintegrate once it enters your mouth. A delicious buttery taste consumes my taste buds as I moan in my head in pleasure.

"So are all in agreement we'll spend Christmas dinner together?" Mother asks in her quiet voice. Hazelle nods and everyone continues to eat their dinner. The rest of the meal goes by without much conversation and after everyone is finished I begin to clear off the table.

"I can't believe you ate that bun thing" Gale mutters in my ear as he grabs the plate I was reaching for. I roll my eyes at him and make my way to the kitchen with full arms.

Rory and Prim have already began washing the dishes and I carefully place the rest on the counter. A cool, harsh breeze sneaks through the cracked open window in the kitchen and my teeth chatter as I latch it up. I notice that Mother has started boiling some water for the mint tea her family usually drinks after meals to settle their stomach.

The sun has already set and the temperature dropped considerably. Gale has started a fire and Vick and Posy are snuggling close up to it trying to keep warm. Hazelle comes out of the boy's room carrying an armful of blankets and hands one to the two youngest children.

I sit down on the old couch and close my eyes and listen to the sounds that the wind is making. I hear it swirling and whooshing around, making whistling sounds. Sometimes it sneaks through the cracks of the Hawthorne's house, making it ever so slightly cooler in here. Gale comes and sits beside me with a blanket in his hand. I lean my head against his chest as he wraps the blanket tightly around us. And we sit there, keeping warm by the heat of the fire and each other's body heat.

Mother comes around with a tray of old teacups full of mint tea. I grab and drink it slowly taking in its soothing taste. After a while Prim and Rory are done the dishes and join the rest of us in front of the fire. They each grab a blanket and wrap it tightly around their cold bodies.

The fire starts to deflate a bit and Gale gets up to tend to it. Just then I notice that snow has started to hit the windows. Peeta was right a storm is forming. I watch silently as the snow and wind begins to hit the windows and boards of the house more violently.

A loud howling sound fills the air and Posy begins to whimper. I reassure that it's only the wind, which does nothing to calm her down. She crawls onto her Mother's lap and eventually she falls asleep. Gale joins me back on the couch and hugs my tightly, transferring his warmth to me.

"Would anyone care for a game of checkers?" Vick says as he gets up and grabs the board and game pieces from the rotting shelf

"I will, but no crying when I win" Rory teases as he grabs all the red pieces. Hazelle goes to put Posy into her bed, and I strike up a conversation between Gale and I.

"Do you think we'll have enough money saved up to buy the kids presents for Christmas?" I ask while raising the blanket up to my chin

"I would think so, our catches are being sold for more since everyone is practically starving. But I was thinking about getting a job working for the butcher" He replies

"Why the butcher?"

"She pays good and knows I'm good with meat"

"Well I hope you get the job" I finish the conversation and listen to the contrast of sounds between the fire crackling and the wind's howls.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go home tonight, I think your family should stay the night. The storm is pretty bad" Gale says while hugging me tighter against his body.

"It's not that far, I think we can manage," I mumble into his shirt

"I just don't want you to get hurt, it's not a good idea to go wandering around at night anyways"

I smile with that remark and sip the last part of my tea. Then I hear Gale ask his Mother if it would be all right if we could stay the night. She agreed and went off to get the beds ready for sleep.

"Ok so Vick and Rory you two will sleep in the same bed, Prim and Katniss you two can sleep together and Gale you can sleep on the couch. Vera you can share a bed with me and Posy if you don't mind" Hazelle says walking in and out of the two bedrooms

"Posy could sleep with me and Prim" I speak up.

"Are you sure? I don't want her to intrude" She argues

"Yes it's fine," I say with a smile. Hazelle goes and moves Posy into the other bedroom and Mother ushers the rest of us off to bed. Gale kisses my cheek and whispers in my ear "If you get cold or too squished you can join me on the couch"

With that I walk into the bedroom and change into one of Gale's old shirts. Then I crawl off to bed and burrow myself underneath the covers with the companionship with Prim and Posy.

Vick and Rory get into the bed across the room while muttering to one another.

"Stop taking all the sheets to your side, it's cold over here!" Vick whines and hits Rory.

"I'm cold too, but you keep rolling over and tucking them under you" Rory yells as he tugs on the blankets

"Hey!" Gale storms into the room and tells his brother to calm down and go to sleep already. Then he turns to me and asks if I am squished. I notice that he's not wearing a shirt and his hard abs and string biceps glow in the moonlight. I slowly nod my head no while chuckling.

Then he leaves and I fall asleep rather fast, along with the rest of the occupants in the Hawthorne's household.

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**Hey all! So please review, I worked rather hard on this chapter. I wanted to make up for the lack of updates with a new character POV and a tad bit longer. I know, I know, no Darius but he will make an appearance in the next chapter! I promise! Please tell me what you thought about Prim and Peeta working alongside each other now and give me some ideas for gifts that they could all give each other. Engagement rings perhaps..? ;D**


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